


You're my best friend

by unacaritafeliz



Series: The very best (Pokémon AU) [3]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pokemon Fusion, Dex is in love with Nursey and he KNOWS IT NOW, Gen, M/M, also I am in love with Chowder and it shows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:41:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24506344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unacaritafeliz/pseuds/unacaritafeliz
Summary: "You know, if you didn't want to spend time with Nursey, then you probably shouldn't have asked to move in with him next year," Chowder says, faux-casually.Dex glances back over at Chowder. "I actually asked to move in with her next year," he says, nodding at Drowzee who's made herself comfortable lying face down across Chowder's toned stomach. It's technically the truth, though he's starting to realise he definitely wouldn't have been so determined to follow her if a part of him hadn't wanted to follow Nursey too.Chowder raises an eyebrow. "Okay, so all four of us know that's bullshit, right?" he says.[After graduation Dex and Nursey (and Growlithe and Drowzee) visit Chowder (and Blastoise and Gyarados) in California.]
Relationships: Chris "Chowder" Chow & William "Dex" Poindexter, Derek "Nursey" Nurse/William "Dex" Poindexter
Series: The very best (Pokémon AU) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1749160
Comments: 5
Kudos: 80





	You're my best friend

Dex shifts on the beach towel, tucking his legs up to keep them under the shade of the Sharks-branded beach umbrella he's perched under. He's got a book on his lap, but he hasn't glanced at it in nearly half an hour. How could he, when both Nursey and Chowder are directly in his line of sight; shirtless and playing a dumb game of chicken, with Nursey on top of Chowder's Blastoise and Chowder perched calmly on the head of the fucking Gyarados he's apparently had since it evolved from a Magikarp when he was eight?   
  
Like, Dex has always known that Chowder was a secret badass with hidden depths, but owning a huge Gyarados that reveres him? There's no way he could have predicted that.   
  
Suddenly, Gyarados uses Hydro Pump, releasing a stream of water that hits Nursey right in the face and sends him flying off of Blastoise's back and into the ocean behind him. Dex can't help the snort of laughter that escapes him, fondness blooming in his chest as Nursey splutters his way back to the surface.   
  
"Drow-zee!" Drowzee shrieks.   
  
Dex pulls his gaze away to see Drowzee staring worriedly at the water; her sandcastle - which she was apparently building on top of a sleepy and pliant Growlithe - completely ignored in favour of watching her trainer. Dex feels the affection in his chest grow at the sight of her.   
  
"It's okay," Dex says, placatingly, reaching out to stroke across her head. "He's alright, they're just playing."   
  
Nursey's arguing with Chowder, flicking his damp curls out of his eyes as he gestures animatedly with his hands. Chowder shrugs in response and Nursey points his finger straight at Chowder, shouting a command that Blastoise clearly follows, shooting a jet of water at his own trainer and sending Chowder flying into the water too.   
  
"Drowzee," Drowzee says, satisfied. She turns back to Growlithe and happily slaps another fistful of sand onto his back. Growlithe opens an eye to look at her briefly, before settling back into the sand.   
  
Dex chuckles, reaching over to scratch his fingers into the puff of hair on Growlithe's head. "You alright, buddy?" he asks.   
  
"Growlithe," Growlithe agrees, lazily.   
  
Dex smiles, and flops back down on the towel, resting on his elbows so he can keep watching the group playing in the water. Watching them feels a little bittersweet - while he's never regretted choosing to follow Nursey and Drowzee to New York after graduation, couldn't have made another decision even if he had to, he's going to miss Chowder and Blastoise more than he could ever put into words. They're both such an integral part of Dex's life, he could spend an eternity with them and still not be ready to say goodbye.   
  
At least they have this; one final Frogs party out here in California, one last hurrah before Caitlin comes back from her internship, before Chowder officially starts his career as the best and most brutal goaltender the NHL has ever seen, before Nursey and Dex head to New York City to start navigating the after-college portion of their lives...   
  
...and their relationship, but Dex is trying very hard not to think about that in too much detail.   
  
Nursey jumps on Chowder’s back, dunking him underwater, and Chowder emerges from the water with his hands raised in surrender. He starts paddling in to shore, leaving Nursey with both his Pokemon, and Dex rushes to redirect his attention to his book before Chowder looks up and realises Dex has been staring at them instead of reading.   
  
It's probably better that he's redirected his gaze before Chowder emerged from the water anyway, Dex thinks, staring at the book without reading it. Chowder's shirtless, and dripping with water no doubt, and Dex may be a hair's breadth away from being completely in love with Nursey, but he's not blind, and his dumb gay brain could really do without being hopelessly attracted to his best friend today.   
  
"I got ejected for cheating," Chowder explains, flopping onto the beach towel beside Dex. Drowzee, as shameless as her trainer, climbs onto his abs and Chowder's hand immediately comes up to pet the top of her head "It's not my fault Gyarados used hydro-pump. I didn't even ask her to."   
  
Dex rolls his eyes. Chowder has the rare ability to communicate with his Pokemon without words, a talent Dex discovered the hard way in their sophomore year, when an argument between him and Nursey was broken up by Chowder clicking his fingers and Blastoise drenching them in water. It's a skill that would make him undefeatable in Pokemon battles but, since Chowder finds battling brutal and unkind, he weaponises it against his friends instead.   
  
"You're not fooling anyone with that innocent act, Chow," Dex says. "You probably told her what to do by, like, breathing half a second offbeat or something."   
  
"Actually, I tapped her gently with my foot, but same difference, I guess," says Chowder. He turns his head over so he can look at Dex, dark bangs flopping into his eyes. "You should join him," he says, nodding his head in Nursey's direction.   
  
Dex feels his checks flush without permission. He's never told Chowder about his increasingly non-platonic feelings for Nursey, can barely even admit it to himself most days, but he's sure that Chowder still knows. Drowzee and Growlithe probably know too. The three of them know him so well, it's almost impossible to hide anything from them.   
  
"I have to watch Growlithe and Drowzee," says Dex, turning away from Chowder. "And I'm reading my book."   
  
"Okay, first of all, I can watch Growlithe and Drowzee," says Chowder. "And second of all, it's been, like, forty minutes and you're still on page five."   
  
Dex's ears flame. "I'm actually on page 12," he retorts, dumbly. He isn't looking at Chowder, but can still feel him rolling his eyes.   
  
"You know, if you didn't want to spend time with him, then you probably shouldn't have asked to move in with him next year," Chowder says, faux-casually.   
  
Dex glances back over at Chowder. "I actually asked to move in with her next year," he says, nodding at Drowzee who's made herself comfortable lying face down across Chowder's toned stomach. It's technically the truth, though he's starting to realise he definitely wouldn't have been so determined to follow her if a part of him hadn't wanted to follow Nursey too.   
  
Chowder raises an eyebrow. "Okay, so all four of us know that's bullshit, right?" he says.   
  
"Growlithe," Growlithe agrees, sleepily.   
  
Dex turns his head, scandalised, to find Growlithe watching him with one eye open and a cheeky grin on his face. His lower half is still covered in the sand that Drowzee had piled on top of him.   
  
"Traitor," Dex says, reaching out to scratch Growlithe's head anyway. It's not the first time Growlithe has sided with Nursey over Dex, and Dex knows it won't be the last time either.   
  
"Hey, Dex?" Chowder asks, suddenly serious. When Dex turns to look at him he's cuddling Drowzee to his chest, almost as if he's trying to hide behind her. "It's okay that you like Nursey. You know that, right?"   
  
Dex purses his lips in thought, shifting his gaze back out to the water, where Nursey is perched on top of Gyarados. She thrashes, trying to kick him off like she's a mechanical bull, while Blastoise aims jets of water up at him. Nursey looks like an fucking idiot up there, but Dex can't help but feel fond and affectionate as he watches him. He can't deny it, not even to himself, that he's fallen, hard and fast, for Derek Nurse.   
  
The thing is, though, Nursey... he's everything. He's endlessly kind, and impossibly forgiving. He's smart, and talented, and hard working, and he's honestly one of the best people Dex has ever known. And Dex? Dex is brash and impatient, he's permanently angry and, worst of all, he was unkind and unfair to Nursey for years. He hates himself for it, but he knows probably would have continued to do so if tiny baby Drowzee hadn't wormed her way into Dex's heart, helping to make space for her trainer right next to her.   
  
Dex knows that it's okay that he likes Nursey. But that doesn't mean he comes close to deserving Nursey’s love in return.   
  
"It would never work out," Dex says, quietly. "He deserves better."   
  
"He does," Chowder agrees, and it feels like a punch to the chest. "But that just means you have to be better."   
  
Dex turns to look at Chowder, taking in the completely earnest look on his face. Chowder has always seen the best in everybody, Dex definitely included, but he's also a fiercely loyal friend. He wouldn't let Nursey settle for anything less than what he deserves.   
  
So if _Chris Chow_ thinks _Will Poindexter_ can be good enough for _Derek Nurse_ then maybe...   
  
"Do you really think so?" Dex asks, uncertain.   
  
Chowder smiles, reaching out to squeeze his hand against Dex's leg. "I do," he says, simply. "And, for what it's worth, I think Drowzee thinks so too."   
  
"Drowz!" Drowzee agrees, reaching out to grab onto Dex's elbow.   
  
Dex can't help but smile as he moves his hand to stroke Drowzee's head. He still thinks Nursey deserves more than Dex could ever be, but the support of their friends make him feel like he still has a chance. And, besides, Nursey is worth the effort. Dex owes it to him to be the best friend and roommate that he can be, even if he'll never be anything more.   
  
"Blastoise?" asks a loud voice, causing Dex to jump. For all that Blastoise is a big guy, he's surprisingly swift and light on his feet. Dex didn't even notice him leaving the water and walking up to their spot on the beach.   
  
Although, to be fair, Dex was probably a little too wrapped up in his own thoughts to notice very much.   
  
"I'm tired," Chowder whines. "I'm taking a break."   
  
Blastoise frowns, and reaches down to pick up Chowder's ankle. "Blastoise!!" he insists.   
  
"Nooooo," Chowder protests, flopping onto his back. "Take Dex."   
  
Blastoise turns to look at Dex, his head tilted to the side appraisingly. Dex's eyes go wide. He's known Blastoise long enough to know that look never means anything good for anyone.   
  
"Sorry, Blastoise," Dex says, holding up his book. "Why don't you hang out here with us instead?"   
  
"Hey Blastoise," Chowder says, dangerously serious. He waits until Dex turns to look at him, making direct eye-contact with his best friend while he clicks his tongue once.   
  
It's the same noise Chowder made before Blastoise had forcibly removed Whiskey's ex-Chad from Keagster last semester.   
  
"No!" Dex protests, but he's too late. Blastoise hoists Dex up, causing Dex to lose his grip on his book, and swings him on top of Blastoise's shell in a fireman's carry. Ignoring Dex's protests, Blastoise salutes Chowder and turns to start walking towards the water.   
  
"Have fun," Chowder yells.   
  
Dex turns around in time to see Chowder flop onto his stomach and begin helping Drowzee with her sandcastle, no doubt preparing to fashion Growlithe a shark tail out of sand. Dex spares a single moment to be thankful his Pokemon are getting some final bonding time with their uncle Chowder before he has to direct his entire focus to not falling.   
  
"You're a menace, you know that?" Dex tells Blastoise, as he swings himself to sit properly on Blastoise's shoulders. He says it entirely without heat, his resolve not to swim considerably crumbled by how easily Blastoise had accepted him as a substitute for Chowder.   
  
"'Stoise," Blastoise agrees, sagely, wading into the water.   
  
Dex smiles, wrapping his arms more securely around Blastoise's neck. "I'll forgive you if you Hydro-pump Nursey off his feet," he says.   
  
Blastoise responds by diving into the water, nearly knocking Dex off in the process. Dex laughs, scooting back so he rests on the back of Blastoise's shell, rather than his neck. He dips his hands into the water, enjoying the cool feeling against his palm. The beach is one of the only things he misses about Maine, though the experience is definitely a lot nicer when he's not swimming with PJ's asshole Kingler.   
  


As they approach Nursey and Gyarados, Dex sees Blastoise cannons twitch and aim at Nursey. Grinning, Dex holds on tight as Blastoise sends a jet of water, hitting Nursey in the face and sending him tumbling off Gyarados’ back and into the water below.   
  
It's barely a second later when Gyarados sends a freezing stream of water towards Dex, hitting him in the chest and plunging him into the water too.   
  
Spluttering, Dex emerges from the water, shaking his too-long hair out of his eyes. He reaches out to cling onto Blastoise shell, and comes face to face with Nursey, who's already taken refuge there. Dex's heart stumbles. Nursey always looks good, but he looks gorgeous like this, hair soaked with salt water and green eyes sparkling with mirth. The usually faint splattering of freckles on his nose has grown darker in the California sun and the dark lines of his tattoo ripples against his skin as he extends his hand towards Dex.   
  
"Welcome to the party, Poindexter," says Nursey, with a lazy grin   
  
Dex takes Nursey's hand and warmth radiates from his palm upwards as Nursey pulls him firmly onto Blastoise's back. Their hands linger together for a moment longer than strictly necessary before Nursey lets go.   
  
"I was kidnapped," Dex mutters, knowing his ears must be bright red. Hopefully he can pass it off as a sunburn.   
  
Nursey smiles, soft and fond and so beautiful it makes Dex's heart ache. "Well," he says, "it's nice to have you anyway."   
  
He sounds so sincerely happy to be spending time with Dex, that Dex finds himself really believing that he could, with enough love and effort, one day be good enough for Derek Nurse.   
  
Confronted by his feelings, Dex does the only thing he can think of, and tackles Nursey into the water behind them.   
  


**Author's Note:**

> I hope you are all safe and healthy. It feels bizarre to post fanfic when there’s so many more important things going on, but I figure we could all do with something a little bit good in our lives right now. My heart is with the Black Lives Matter movement; I send love and support from Australia, and my sincere thanks to all those fighting the good fight.


End file.
